Submission from the Office of the Planning Regulator (Submission No 426)
Issues / Recommendations / Observations
Chief Executive’s Resp onse & Recommendation
The Guidelines for Planning Authorities Retail Planning (2012) indicate that a Joint Retail Strategy is required for the full extent of the planning authorities concerned, i.e. Cork City Council and all of Cork County Council. It is anticipated that the Joint Retail Strategy and the development plans for the two authorities will determine the capacity and scope for retail outlet development in Cork City and County. The draft Plan (and Joint Retail Strategy) should more fully reflect the provisions of the Guidelines under section 4.11.4 Outlet Centres, which sta tes ‘outlet centres should not be permitted in more remote out-of- town locations.’ The draft Plan does not provide the minimum information required for development plans under section 3.3 of the Guidelines including the defined boundary of core shopping areas (and district centres) and a broad assessment of additional retail requirement. Recommendation 7 – Retail Having regard to the requirements of the Retail Planning Guidelines for Planning Authorities (DECLG, 2012) the planning authority is required to prepare an appropriately detailed Joint Retail Strategy with Cork County Council to secure plan-led development for retail within the two neighbouring authorities. The Joint Retail Strategy is required to: (i) appropriately address the functional area of the two authorities; (ii) inform the core strategy, retail hierarchy and retail policy approach of the county development plan consistent with the provisions of the Guidelines, including in particular the key messages, the five national policy objectives in section 2.5, and the detailed ‘Development Plan and Retailing’ requirements as set out under section 3.3; (iii) identify the additional retail floor space required to support the settlement hierarchy, the quantity and type of retail floor space
In relation to Recommendation 7(i), it is considered that the preparation of a Joint Retail Strategy for the Metropolitan Area only is the most appropriate planning approach, rather than a whole City and County approach. This is particularly relevant when considering the size of County Cork, and the zones of retail influence within the County. It is noted that in recent correspondence from the OPR in relation to the Draft Waterford City and County Development Plan, Waterford City and County Council has been requested to carry out a Joint Retail Study only covering the Waterford MASP Area, coordinating with Kilkenny County Council. It is also noted that the Southern Regional Assembly had no concerns over the approach taken by Cork City Council and Cork County Council in relation to the geographic extent of the Joint Retail Strategy, and supports the completion of the Cork Metropolitan Area Joint Retail Study 2021 and its implementation, which aligns with RSES RPO 55 Retail and Cork MASP Objective 16. In relation to 7(ii) and 7(iii), as set out above Cork City Council is committed to working with Cork County Council on progressing the Joint Retail Strategy. However, while work on the Strategy progressed to an advanced stage, the final strategy could not be agreed by both parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Draft Plan includes retail policy guidance as required under planning legislation. As outlined in Section 7.82 Retail Hierarchy of the Draft Plan, a retail hierarchy has been included based on the retail hierarchy set out in the Cork MASP, Cork MASP Policy Objective 16 and the Draft Plan’s Settlement Strategy. As stated in Section 7.92, core retail areas have been defined for the City Centre, District Centres and Large Urban Town Centres, and have been identified in zoning maps in Volume 2 Mapped Objectives of the Draft Plan. In relation to 7(iv), Cork City Council is again committed to working with Cork County Council on coordinated objectives for retail outlet centres and may vary the Plan in due course regarding any policy outcomes from this process. Recommendation:
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